Electric-railway system



(N0 Model.)

' J. MOL. MURPHY. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM' 190,599,344. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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nrrnn .errar rricnt JOHN MCLEOD MURPHY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY

DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SAFETY TIIIRD RAIL ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, OF ANEI/V JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,344, dated February 22, 1898. Application led September 24, 1897. Serial No. 652,899. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ whom if may concern: Y

Be it known that I, JOHN MoLEoD MUR- PHY, of Torrington, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of electric-railway systems having magnetic switch devices operated by an independent circuit to close the line between the working conductors and the main or feed line; and such invention refers more particularly to an improved form of switch mechanism more especially adapted for use in connection with the improved electric-propulsion system disclosed in another application filed by me September 3, 1897, Serial No. 650,482.

In the application referred to the working conductors, the energizing-switch, the main line, the local circuit, the trolley, and the controller on the car are so arranged that the energizing of the working conductor is effected by the motorman setting his controller to first shunt the local circuit through the controller, the trolley, the working conductor (third rail) through the switches to close the main line with the Working conductors, after which he further adjusts the controller to take up the circuit from the energizing-conductor section to the motor. In the system referred to the switch devices are so arranged that when energized by the local circuit they will serve to cut out the local as they move through to close the main line with the working conductor.

This invention seeks to simplify the construction of the switch devices disclosed in such application, to render the same more stable and economical in construction, and in which the several parts are so arranged that their operation is rendered positive under all conditions.

The invention also comprehends the construction of a switch mechanism in which the contacts are so arranged that the feedline circuit of the Working conductors will be positively closed in the operation of the switch before the local is broken and said operation effected in such a manner that 5o arcing and waste of energy are reduced to a minimum.

Vith other objects in view, which will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in a switch mechanism embodying the novel combination and construction of parts, such as will be first described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view illustrating the switch mechanism and the car motor controller, storage battery, and circuits in diagram. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch, the contact being in the position it assumes when the local circuit is on; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the switch mechanism, indicating the position of the parts after the main-line circuit has been closed and before the local has been broken.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and numerals indicate like parts in all the figures, S indicates an iron-clad solenoid or suction magnet having an inner winding S2 of fine and closely-wound Wire and an outer heavy winding S', which is preferably cased in, as shown. The head S3 of the magnet has alpendent core-piece S4, which extends down into the inner winding and forms the stop for the shouldered upper end of the armature-core or plunger P, the lower end of which carries a copper bridgepiece c, properly insulated therefrom, which has sockets at the ends to receive the carbon contacts ct and a2.

The plunger P has an upwardly-eXtending shank P', which may be of a non-magnetic material or insulated from the core S4. This shank P' has contacts 7 8, between which the arm 9 of a bell-crank lever G projects, which is held in proper adjusted positions by a friction-spring g or other means, and such lever G has a carbon contact 1, adapted to be moved into engagement with the carbon 2 of the contact-piece I-I.

Y indicates the sectional conductor, (third rail,) which has its lead y' connected with the out-er windings S', such lead y' also having a branch G', which connects with the lever G. The lever His connected with the inner windings S2 by the lead h.

F indicates the feeder or main line-wire, which connects with the contact D, consisting of the fixed bracket d and the yielding member d', having a carbon contact a4 opposing the lift-contact a.

E indicates a contact constructed similar to the contact D, which connects with the outer winding of the magnet and has itscarbon contact opposing the contact a2.

N indicates the ground or return for the inner winding.

So far as described it will be clear that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l no current can pass through the magnet and the sectional conductor or trolleywire y from the feed-wire F 5 but any current coming from the sectional conductor Y from another source will pass through lever G, carbon contacts l and 2, member I-I, to the inner winding S2 of the magnet to ground or return.

On the car, connected in multiple through a resistance with the motor-circuit through the controller, is a batteryT of a few cells of accumulators, as indicated atB in Fig. l, the controller being indicated by C, its contacts c c, and its lever 'L.

M indicates the motor, and T the trolley.

Assuming the switch parts to be in the position indicated in Fig. l and the car as entering on conductor-section Y, now when the motorman turnsl the lever to contact c the local or battery circuit will be closed and the current take the course indicated by arrows, thereby establishing a current in the winding S2 of the magnet, which will cause the iron core or plunger P to be drawn up and close contacts a2 a2 a a4 and thereby complete the circuit for the current from the feeder to sup-y ply current to working conductor through the outer winding S' and the lead y', it being obvious that by shifting the lever to contact c the said current will be taken up by the trolley through controller to the motor. At this point it should be stated that in this system of electric circuits the motorman has full control. of the current at all times-t'. e. when the lever L is off the contact c the feed-circuit will be entirely cut off from the working conductor Vunder the car-although the light-circuit is maintained by the storage-circuit, which circuit is, however, always in the motor-circuit through the controller, whereby it will be constantly replenished by the feed-current, as will presently more fully appear.

By constructing the plunger P as shown and making the contacts D and E yielding it is manifest that as the contacts 8 and 7 are sufficiently spaced to allow for a free play of the plunger greater than the normal distance between the contacts D and E and at' and a2 it follows that the main-line feed will pass through the magnet to the conductor-section before the local circuit is broken, the breaking of which is effected when the plunger P has been pulled in entirely. After contacts a a2 d3 a4 are in touch the contact-pin 7 will strike lever-arm 9 and raise same to open contacts 1 and 2, which deprives coil S2 of current, the plunger P being then held to its raised position through the action of the current iiowing through coil Si to the motor and will so remain as long as the motor is taking up current or the car is on that particular working conductor fed through the magnet last energized. As soon as the car leaves this particular section current will cease through coil S', and the plunger P will drop to the position shown in Fig. l, thereby cutting off connection between such conductor-section and the feed-line, and as the pin in the descending of the plunger P strikes lever 9 the connection between contacts l and 2 is made to leave the said position to be operated by the next car.

As the plunger P will positively drop by gravity or by spring action, or by both, any current due to leakage between the track and the sectional conductor after the car has left it will not be sufficient to hold plunger P up. In practice the weight of the plunger or the retractile spring, or both, is so arranged that only when a current such as is transmitted from the car local, which is vastly greater than can be. due to any possible leakage, is on will the plunger be drawn up.

In the present arrangement of my system the feeder-current recharges the accumulators on the car. At this point it should be stated that while it has been described that the local is used to energize and set the switches, yet as a matter of fact the current used for energizing inner coil S2 will only come from the accumulators when starting the car, as when the car is in motion through current from the feeder one section will supply current for energizing the next section through the trailers or trolleys on the car, as two, one at each end, is used on a car.

To avoid too much current passing through the batteries, which would be the case if five hundred volts potential is used, as is usual in trolley car systems, a suitable resistance, which may be in the nature of lights or a coil R, or both, is used in the local circuit.

By joining the local or battery circuit with the motor-current, so that such battery-current is recharged constantly when motor is in, only a few cells of accumulatore are necessary to operate the switch, it being obvious,however, that, if desired, a sufficient number of cells may be used to store up sufficient electrornotive force to propel the car independent of the feed-circuit under certain conditions.

-The controller-lever contact in practice is IOO IIO

IIS

so arranged that it closes with contact, first v into engagement with the motor-contact still engages the contact c to keep the local in touch with the motor-circuit.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, the advantages of my improvement will readily appear. It will be noticed by using the conductor-lead y' as a part of the local circuit during the momentum of the car the local will be practically cut out, as the feed-line will do the work of setting the switches, thereby avoiding the necessity of any special manipulation of` the controller-lever except when starting the car. Furthermore, as the main line-current is on before the local breaks the operation of the switches is rendered absolutely positive without danger of waste by arcing.

As the windings S2 are of avery close character, it is obvious that the amperage or flow of the feed-circuit to the local circuit will be reduced to such a degree as to render the heating of the coils to a danger heat impossible, such result being also overcome by the quick action of breaking` the local during the starting of the car and the fact that when the car is under headway the switches are set by direct energy from the feed-wire and not from the local.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the sectional conductors, the car having a propelling-motor, a storage battery, and a trolley engaging the sectional conductor and the main or feed line, of an electromagnetic-s witch mechanism having a lowresistance coil in line with the sectional conductor and the main or feed line, a high-resistance coil having a ground return and a lead joining with the low-resistance coil, a circuit-breaker in such lead, governed by the direct action of the opening and closing of the switch and arranged relatively with a movable part of such switch to be opened when the said movable part of the switch receives impulse through the main or feed line circuit as set forth.

2. In an electric-railway system of the class described, an electromagnetic-switch mechanism, comprising a magnet having an outer low-resistance winding-coil in line with the main or feed wire, and a sectional conductor, an inner or high-resistance windingcoil, having a ground return and a lead connected with the outer or low-resistance winding-coil, said magnet having a plunger-armature, a circuit-breaker in the high-resistance-coil lead, connecting with the plunger and adapted to be shifted by such plunger at the end of its inward or lift stroke, substantially as shown and described.

3. An electromagnetic-switch mechanism of the character stated, comprising a magnet having 'independent inner and outer windings, the outer winding having a lead connected with the sectional conductor, the inner winding having a lead connected with such conductor and having a switch in such inner-winding lead, the yielding contacts D and E connected respectively with the feederwire and the outer winding of the magnet, and the plunger P having abridge-piece to engage the contacts D and E and having means for breaking the switch in the innerwinding lead, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

4. In an electromagnetic switch of the character described, the combination with the inner and outer windings, the sectional conductor having leads connected with theinner and outer windings the inner-winding lead having a switch held to a closed position when the magnet is denergized, and the contacts D and E connected respectively with the feederwire, and the outer winding of the magnet, said contacts having yielding engagin g faces, of the vertically-movable plunger P having means for breaking the switch in the inner-Winding leads and having contacts to engage the yielding contacts D and E, all being arranged substantially as shown, whereby the circuit from the feeder-wire will be closed to the magnet before the inner winding or local circuit is broken, and means carried on the car-body for energizing the sectional conductor, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

JOHN MCLEOD MURPHY. lVitnesses:

FRED G. DIETERICH, A. E. DrETnRIcH. 

